Method for enabling a wireless device with customer-specific services

Abstract

A system including a server coupled to a wireless network, the server comprising a wireless interface adapted to transmit and receive wireless signals, one or more processors coupled to the wireless interface, the one or more processors adapted to: detect a registration request sent from a wireless device to a home location register (HLR) over which the server has authority to control, the request indicating an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) associated with a subscriber identity module (SIM) card in the wireless device, send a reply to the wireless device in response to a determination that the IMSI is associated with a subscriber account that has not been activated, wherein the reply includes a web link to be displayed on the wireless device, receive a message from the wireless device when the web link displayed on the wireless device is subscriber activated, the message identifying characteristics of the wireless device, send a sequence of webpages to the wireless device, the webpages providing a customized activation process for establishing the subscriber account based on identified characteristics of the wireless device, and receive information related to the subscriber account from the wireless device in response to the webpages to thereby establish and activate the subscriber account.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method performed by a network server to enable automated on-device activation of a wireless device for operation in a wireless network, comprising:
 detecting by the network server a registration request sent from the wireless device to a home location register (HLR) over which the network server has authority to control, the request indicating an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) associated with a subscriber identity module (SIM) card in the wireless device; 
 sending a reply to the wireless device in response to a determination that the IMSI is associated with a subscriber account that has not been activated, wherein the reply includes a web link to be displayed on the wireless device; 
 receiving a message from the wireless device when the web link displayed on the wireless device is subscriber activated, the message identifying characteristics of the wireless device; 
 sending a sequence of webpages to the wireless device, the webpages providing a customized activation process for establishing the subscriber account based on identified characteristics of the wireless device; and 
 receiving information related to the subscriber account from the wireless device in response to the webpages to thereby establish and activate the subscriber account. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein sending the reply to the wireless device further comprises:
 accessing a database to determine whether the subscriber account associated with the IMSI has been activated; 
 in response to a determination that the subscriber account has not been activated, flagging the subscriber account as “activation ready”. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the reply is a short message service (SMS) message. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the web link in the reply is embedded with a token that identifies the IMSI and is generated in a secure hash format. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the message from the wireless device further comprises:
 extracting components of a user agent from the message; and 
 matching extracted components to a database of known device characteristics to thereby identify the characteristics of the wireless device. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein sending a sequence of webpages further comprises:
 personalizing message exchanges and options to match the identified characteristics of the wireless device. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the characteristics of the wireless device comprise software and hardware characteristics of the wireless device. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein sending a sequence of webpages further comprises:
 sending a webpage to the wireless device for the subscriber to enter identification information to establish the subscriber account. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein sending a sequence of webpages further comprises:
 sending a webpage of rate plans to the wireless device for display if the SIM card was purchased without a prepaid plan. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein, subsequent to activation of the subscriber account, the method further comprising:
 sending a webpage to the wireless device for the subscriber to download a device application from a device-specific website for managing the subscriber account on the wireless device. 
 
     
     
       11. A method of automated on-device activation of a wireless device, comprising:
 detecting presence of a subscriber identity module (SIM) card in the wireless device; 
 sending a registration request to a home location register (HLR) controlled by a network server, the request indicating an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) associated with the SIM card in the wireless device, 
 receiving a reply from the network server, wherein the reply includes a web link to be displayed on the wireless device; 
 sending a message from the wireless device to the network sever when the web link displayed on the wireless device is subscriber activated, the message identifying characteristics of the wireless device; 
 displaying a sequence of webpages that are sent from the network server, the webpages providing a customized activation process for the subscriber account based on identified characteristics of the wireless device; and 
 sending information related to the subscriber account in response to the webpages to thereby establish and activate the subscriber account. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the reply is a short message service (SMS) message. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the web link in the reply is embedded with a token that identifies the IMSI and is generated in a secure hash format. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the message sent from the wireless device includes a user agent indicative of the characteristics of the wireless device. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 11 , wherein displaying a sequence of webpages further comprises:
 displaying personalized messages and options that match the identified characteristics of the wireless device. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the characteristics of the wireless device comprise software and hardware characteristics of the wireless device. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 11 , wherein displaying a sequence of webpages further comprises:
 displaying a webpage for the subscriber to enter identification information to establish the subscriber account. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 11 , wherein displaying a sequence of webpages further comprises:
 displaying a webpage of rate plans if the SIM card was purchased without a prepaid plan. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 11 , wherein, subsequent to activation of the subscriber account, the method further comprising:
 displaying a webpage for the subscriber to download a device application from a device specific website for managing the subscriber account on the wireless device. 
 
     
     
       20. A server coupled to a wireless network comprising:
 a wireless interface configured to transmit and receive wireless signals; 
 one or more processors coupled to the wireless interface, the one or more processors configured to:
 detect a registration request sent from a wireless device to a home location register (HLR) over which the server has authority to control, the request indicating an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) associated with a subscriber identity module (SIM) card in the wireless device; 
 send a reply to the wireless device in response to a determination that the IMSI is associated with a subscriber account that has not been activated, wherein the reply includes a web link to be displayed on the wireless device; 
 receive a message from the wireless device when the web link displayed on the wireless device is subscriber activated, the message identifying characteristics of the wireless device; 
 send a sequence of webpages to the wireless device, the webpages providing a customized activation process for establishing the subscriber account based on identified characteristics of the wireless device; and 
 receive information related to the subscriber account from the wireless device in response to the webpages to thereby establish and activate the subscriber account. 
 
 
     
     
       21. A wireless device coupled to a wireless network comprising:
 a wireless interface configured to transmit and receive wireless signals; and 
 one or more processors coupled to the wireless interface, the one or more processors configured to:
 detect presence of a subscriber identity module (SIM) card in the wireless device; 
 send a registration request to a home location register (HLR) controlled by a server, the request indicating an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) associated with the SIM card in the wireless device, 
 receive a reply from the server, wherein the reply includes a web link to be displayed on the wireless device; 
 send a message from the wireless device to the server when the web link displayed on the wireless device is subscriber activated, the message identifying characteristics of the wireless device; 
 display a sequence of webpages that are sent from the server, the webpages providing a customized activation process for establishing the subscriber account based on identified characteristics of the wireless device; and 
 send information related to the subscriber account in response to the webpages to thereby establish and activate the subscriber account. 
 
 
     
     
       22. The wireless device of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more processors detects the presence of the SIM card after a subscriber installs the SIM card. 
     
     
       23. A server system coupled to a wireless network comprising:
 a wireless interface configured to transmit and receive wireless signals; 
 one or more processors coupled to the wireless interface, the one or more processors configured to:
 detect a registration request sent from a wireless device to a home location register (HLR) over which the server has authority to control, the request indicating an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) associated with a subscriber identity module (SIM) card in the wireless device; 
 send a reply to the wireless device in response to a determination that the IMSI is associated with a subscriber account that has not been activated, wherein the reply includes a web link to be displayed on the wireless device; 
 receive a message from the wireless device when the web link displayed on the wireless device is subscriber activated; 
 receive data identifying characteristics of the wireless device; 
 send a sequence of webpages to the wireless device, the webpages providing a customized activation process for establishing the subscriber account based on identified characteristics of the wireless device; and 
 receive information related to the subscriber account from the wireless device in response to the webpages to thereby establish and activate the subscriber account. 
 
 
     
     
       24. The server system of  claim 23 , wherein data identifying characteristics of the wireless device comprises an International Mobile Station Equipment Identity (IMEI). 
     
     
       25. The server system of  claim 24 , wherein the IMEI is received from a Remote Authentication Dial In User Service (RADIUS) server. 
     
     
       26. A method performed by a network server to enable automated on-device activation of a wireless device for operation in a wireless network, comprising:
 detecting a registration request sent from a wireless device to a home location register (HLR) over which the server has authority to control, the request indicating an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) associated with a subscriber identity module (SIM) card in the wireless device; 
 sending a reply to the wireless device in response to a determination that the IMSI is associated with a subscriber account that has not been activated, wherein the reply includes a web link to be displayed on the wireless device; 
 receiving a message from the wireless device when the web link displayed on the wireless device is subscriber activated; 
 receiving data identifying characteristics of the wireless device; 
 sending a sequence of webpages to the wireless device, the webpages providing a customized activation process for establishing the subscriber account based on identified characteristics of the wireless device; and 
 receiving information related to the subscriber account from the wireless device in response to the webpages to thereby establish and activate the subscriber account. 
 
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 26 , wherein data identifying characteristics of the wireless device comprises an International Mobile Station Equipment Identity (IMEI). 
     
     
       28. The method of  claim 27 , wherein the IMEI is received from a Remote Authentication Dial In User Service (RADIUS) server.